In the treatment of the peptic ulcer disease current therapy aims at reducing the gastric acid secretion, thus resulting in a recess of the injuries in the gastro-intestinal tract. Inhibitors of the gastric acid secretion, proton pump inhibitors in particular, induce a rapid relief of pain and other symptoms associated with the ulcer disease. However, relapses of the disease is a documented fact. Since gastric antisecretory therapy only leads to reduction of the major tissue irritating factor, gastric acid, the plausible cause of the disease, Helicobacter pylori, remains mainly unaffected. (Helicobacter pylori was earlier named Campylobacter pylori.)
Helicobacter pylori is affected by certain antibiotic compounds e.g. macrolides and penicillins as has been shown in vitro and in vivo. However, these products are degraded into nonantibacterial metabolites in the presence of gastric acid, which drastically reduces their antibacterial efficacy.
In view of the widespread use of antimicrobial pharmaceuticals in the treatment of infectious diseases or for other purposes and the consequent emergence of drug-resistant strains, increased incidence of microbial substitution due to disturbance of the normal bacterial flora, changes in profile of infectious diseases, etc., there has been a constant demand for the development of new antimicrobial agents or combinations thereof.